Iran was ousted from a United Nations women's group on Wednesday for policies contrary to the rights of women and girls. This move was proposed by the United States after Tehran's crackdown on protests over the death of a young woman in custody.

Key UN panel expels Iran from ECOSOC

Iran ousted from U.N. women's group over human rights abuses

Strangely Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s long-awaited designation as an international terrorist by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on May 1 evoked celebration on both sides of the border, in India and in Pakistan.

The Indian side had much to celebrate the naming and shaming of Masood &nbsp;Azhar, long a thorn in its side. Azhar founded the JeM in 2000 post his release from an Indian prison in exchange for the passengers held hostage after the much-publicised hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 at the end of December 1999.

Azhar and his JeM are known to have not only perpetrated the dastardly Pulwama car bomb attack on February 14 &nbsp;which killed 40 CRPF personnel but also the attack on the Pathankot Air Force Station in January 2016 and on Indian Parliament in December 2001, among many others. JeM was already designated as a terrorist organisation by various countries including Pakistan itself, UK, US and the UN but attempts in the UNSC to proscribe its leader Masood Azhar failed four times over the last ten years due to the intransigence of China which placed obstacles in the way.

After the Pulwama attack as pressure built up, France and UK joined by the US re-initiated the process on March 13 to label Masood Azhar an international terrorist. However, the process came a cropper in the face of China’s demands to put it on hold pending more information. Under much diplomatic pressure from India and the US, China finally gave its assent which led to the action by the UNSC on May 1. The only slightly awkward thing in it is the absence of any specific mention of the Pulwama carnage and the hand of Azhar behind it. It has given scope to Pakistan to stamp India’s diplomatic victory as a pyrrhic one.&nbsp;

So what is there for Pakistan to celebrate? The sheer idiocy of that nation, its leadership, people and a hugely controlled media became evident when they collectively perceived that the absence of the mention of the Pulwama attack or any specific reference to Azhar’s involvement in Kashmir was a great diplomatic victory for Pakistan.&nbsp;

The spin, for which Pakistan is well known, also attempts to whitewash its entire sponsorship of the proxy war in J&amp;K with perceived certification from the UNSC. The world reads sufficiently between the lines and realises that it was perhaps at China’s insistence that Pulwama and the JeM chief’s personal involvement in Kashmir were omitted from the draft resolution. That is as far as China could be convinced to go even in the light of pressure brought on by trade issues with the US, the spirit of the Wuhan dialogue and the overall emerging strategic environment around South West Asia. Pakistan’s lack of subtlety is reflected by ignorance of the context of the proscription which stares in the face. The world is aware that the process of the UNSC commenced this time, with Pulwama and the final proscription was a progression of events commencing with the February 2019 condemnation by the UNSC. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had then reiterated his strong condemnation of the Pulwama attack. It will only be with wishful thinking that Pakistan will not perceive the effect of this proscription on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) proceedings, which could certify insufficiency of efforts by Pakistan to curb terror activities from its soil.&nbsp;

Even with cause for celebration in India, most people appeared to overestimate and misread the effect of the UNSC action. I had queries inquiring how soon this would affect JeM’s capability in Kashmir, especially in light of recent achievements of the Army against JeM cadres. What we need to understand is that Azhar’s proscription is not the last act to marginalise him and the JeM; it’s just about the beginning. Lashkar e Taiyaba (LeT) leader Hafiz Sayeed’s similar proscription and placement of a $10 million bounty on his head had little effect on LeT capability and intent on the ground.&nbsp;

The foreign terrorist (FT) group structures are today much reliant on the separatist networks due to extensive army control over infiltration. The army and police must work towards prevention of the creation of alternative leadership and induction of fresh local cadres, to keep the initiative.

Virtually in anticipation of the UNSC decision, Pakistan ISPR chief Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor conducted a long presser two days prior. He went hammer and tongs after the Pashtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM) to balance the effect of the UNSC proceedings, accusing PTM of sponsorship from India and Afghanistan. He then warned India that Pakistan was not the same country which succumbed in 1971 and continued to deny the impact of Balakot attack.

This is a new normal with Pakistan’s deep state which must be read in conjunction with its celebration of the proscription of Masood Azhar by the UNSC. It strongly believes that with each climb of a rung on the military escalatory ladder India only proves that in the threshold below conventional war Pakistan can match it action for action; even in the conventional fold, it has enough in its nuclear arsenal to deter or dissuade Indian adventurism. Given this belief and the idea that Azhar’s proscription is not linked to Kashmir, the Pakistani deep state could feel encouraged to continue with acts of proxy war.&nbsp;

Should India, therefore, brace itself for more terror against itself? What the next government will need to do is to continue playing aggressively in the diplomatic field. Pakistan is financially on the back foot. The pressure at the FATF, with the big powers and engagement with China in the Wuhan spirit, may discourage Pakistan’s deep state from attempting to do something spectacular early in the tenure of the next government.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-masood-azhar-s-proscription-2745709">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Strangely Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s long-awaited designation as an international terrorist by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on May 1 evoked celebration on both sides of the border, in India and in Pakistan.

Strangely Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s long-awaited designation as an international terrorist by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on May 1 evoked celebration on both sides of the border, in India and in Pakistan. The Indian side had much to celebrate the naming and shaming of Masood Azhar, long a thorn in its side. Azhar founded the JeM in 2000 post his release from an Indian prison in exchange for the passengers held hostage after the much-publicised hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 at the end of December 1999. Azhar and his JeM are known to have not only perpetrated the dastardly Pulwama car bomb attack on February 14 which killed 40 CRPF personnel but also the attack on the Pathankot Air Force Station in January 2016 and on Indian Parliament in December 2001, among many others. JeM was already designated as a terrorist organisation by various countries including Pakistan itself, UK, US and the UN but attempts in the UNSC to proscribe its leader Masood Azhar failed four times over the last ten years due to the intransigence of China which placed obstacles in the way. After the Pulwama attack as pressure built up, France and UK joined by the US re-initiated the process on March 13 to label Masood Azhar an international terrorist. However, the process came a cropper in the face of China’s demands to put it on hold pending more information. Under much diplomatic pressure from India and the US, China finally gave its assent which led to the action by the UNSC on May 1. The only slightly awkward thing in it is the absence of any specific mention of the Pulwama carnage and the hand of Azhar behind it. It has given scope to Pakistan to stamp India’s diplomatic victory as a pyrrhic one. So what is there for Pakistan to celebrate? The sheer idiocy of that nation, its leadership, people and a hugely controlled media became evident when they collectively perceived that the absence of the mention of the Pulwama attack or any specific reference to Azhar’s involvement in Kashmir was a great diplomatic victory for Pakistan. The spin, for which Pakistan is well known, also attempts to whitewash its entire sponsorship of the proxy war in J&K with perceived certification from the UNSC. The world reads sufficiently between the lines and realises that it was perhaps at China’s insistence that Pulwama and the JeM chief’s personal involvement in Kashmir were omitted from the draft resolution. That is as far as China could be convinced to go even in the light of pressure brought on by trade issues with the US, the spirit of the Wuhan dialogue and the overall emerging strategic environment around South West Asia. Pakistan’s lack of subtlety is reflected by ignorance of the context of the proscription which stares in the face. The world is aware that the process of the UNSC commenced this time, with Pulwama and the final proscription was a progression of events commencing with the February 2019 condemnation by the UNSC. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had then reiterated his strong condemnation of the Pulwama attack. It will only be with wishful thinking that Pakistan will not perceive the effect of this proscription on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) proceedings, which could certify insufficiency of efforts by Pakistan to curb terror activities from its soil. Even with cause for celebration in India, most people appeared to overestimate and misread the effect of the UNSC action. I had queries inquiring how soon this would affect JeM’s capability in Kashmir, especially in light of recent achievements of the Army against JeM cadres. What we need to understand is that Azhar’s proscription is not the last act to marginalise him and the JeM; it’s just about the beginning. Lashkar e Taiyaba (LeT) leader Hafiz Sayeed’s similar proscription and placement of a $10 million bounty on his head had little effect on LeT capability and intent on the ground. The foreign terrorist (FT) group structures are today much reliant on the separatist networks due to extensive army control over infiltration. The army and police must work towards prevention of the creation of alternative leadership and induction of fresh local cadres, to keep the initiative. Virtually in anticipation of the UNSC decision, Pakistan ISPR chief Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor conducted a long presser two days prior. He went hammer and tongs after the Pashtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM) to balance the effect of the UNSC proceedings, accusing PTM of sponsorship from India and Afghanistan. He then warned India that Pakistan was not the same country which succumbed in 1971 and continued to deny the impact of Balakot attack. This is a new normal with Pakistan’s deep state which must be read in conjunction with its celebration of the proscription of Masood Azhar by the UNSC. It strongly believes that with each climb of a rung on the military escalatory ladder India only proves that in the threshold below conventional war Pakistan can match it action for action; even in the conventional fold, it has enough in its nuclear arsenal to deter or dissuade Indian adventurism. Given this belief and the idea that Azhar’s proscription is not linked to Kashmir, the Pakistani deep state could feel encouraged to continue with acts of proxy war. Should India, therefore, brace itself for more terror against itself? What the next government will need to do is to continue playing aggressively in the diplomatic field. Pakistan is financially on the back foot. The pressure at the FATF, with the big powers and engagement with China in the Wuhan spirit, may discourage Pakistan’s deep state from attempting to do something spectacular early in the tenure of the next government. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Masood Azhar’s proscription

The UN Security Council is expected to give its backing today to the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya in December.

The council has scheduled a meeting to adopt a French-drafted presidential statement that would welcome "the momentum generated" by an international conference on Libya hosted by President Emmanuel Macron on May 29.

Libya plunged into chaos following a 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Since 2014, the country has been split between rival governments and parliaments based in the western and eastern regions, each backed by different militias and tribes.

The draft presidential statement would put the Security Council on record saying that "the current political and security situation in Libya is not sustainable." And it would note "the resounding call of all Libyans for credible, inclusive and peaceful elections in order to achieve a united and stable Libya." At the Paris conference, rival Libyan leaders agreed on a political roadmap leading to elections on&nbsp;December 10.

The draft presidential statement welcomes their commitment "to work constructively with the UN to organize credible and peaceful parliamentary and presidential elections, and to respect the results." It also welcomes the parties' recognition "of the importance of developing a constitutional basis for elections." The statement further recognizes the key role of UN envoy Ghassan Salame "in consulting with Libyan parties to set the constitutional basis for elections and to adopt the necessary laws."

The draft notes the commitment of parties to the Paris agreement "to organize an inclusive political conference" under UN auspices to follow up on implementation of the roadmap.

It would also express concern at the humanitarian situation in Libya, especially in Derna where clashes have been ongoing since April and would call on all parties "to exercise restraint."

The draft presidential statement would put the Security Council on record saying that "the current political and security situation in Libya is not sustainable."

The UN Security Council is expected to give its backing today to the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya in December. The council has scheduled a meeting to adopt a French-drafted presidential statement that would welcome "the momentum generated" by an international conference on Libya hosted by President Emmanuel Macron on May 29. Libya plunged into chaos following a 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Since 2014, the country has been split between rival governments and parliaments based in the western and eastern regions, each backed by different militias and tribes. The draft presidential statement would put the Security Council on record saying that "the current political and security situation in Libya is not sustainable." And it would note "the resounding call of all Libyans for credible, inclusive and peaceful elections in order to achieve a united and stable Libya." At the Paris conference, rival Libyan leaders agreed on a political roadmap leading to elections on December 10. The draft presidential statement welcomes their commitment "to work constructively with the UN to organize credible and peaceful parliamentary and presidential elections, and to respect the results." It also welcomes the parties' recognition "of the importance of developing a constitutional basis for elections." The statement further recognizes the key role of UN envoy Ghassan Salame "in consulting with Libyan parties to set the constitutional basis for elections and to adopt the necessary laws." The draft notes the commitment of parties to the Paris agreement "to organize an inclusive political conference" under UN auspices to follow up on implementation of the roadmap. It would also express concern at the humanitarian situation in Libya, especially in Derna where clashes have been ongoing since April and would call on all parties "to exercise restraint."

UN council expected to back elections in Libya in December

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/29908" target="_blank">United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions </a>monitoring team won&#39;t be allowed a direct access to 26/11 Mumbai terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed or his entities, according to a report in a Pakistan media daily.

The UN Council is scheduled to visit Pakistan this week, January 26, for an assessment of Islamabad&#39;s compliance with the world body&#39;s sanctions regime.

The visit was is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on JuD chief Hafiz Saeed.&nbsp;

Saeed was put under sanctions by the UN in December 2008, a month after the Mumbai terror attack.&nbsp;

The globally designated terrorist, who was released from house arrest last year in November, even urged the UN after his release asking for his name be removed from their list of sanctioned terrorists.

However, it did not happen.&nbsp;

The UN team will hold meetings with Pakistani officials on the list of the sanctioned outfits including JuD, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other organisations and individuals.

Expressing concern, former Pakistan Diplomat Husain Haqqani condemned the decision, saying it would be in Pakistan&#39;s interest to give complete access to Saaed and its entities. &nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It would be in Pakistan&#39;s interest to give United Nations monitoring team complete access to Hafiz Saeed &amp; all entities associated with him. The very fact that Pak wants to hide him from rest of the world basically makes world more suspicious: Husain Haqqani, former Pak Diplomat <a href="https://t.co/p2nfgvHh6c">pic.twitter.com/p2nfgvHh6c</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955392714433953792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said there&#39;s no case against Saeed, which is why he can&#39;t be prosecuted.

The UN Council is scheduled to visit Pakistan on January 26

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions monitoring team won't be allowed a direct access to 26/11 Mumbai terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed or his entities, according to a report in a Pakistan media daily. The UN Council is scheduled to visit Pakistan this week, January 26, for an assessment of Islamabad's compliance with the world body's sanctions regime. The visit was is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on JuD chief Hafiz Saeed. Saeed was put under sanctions by the UN in December 2008, a month after the Mumbai terror attack. The globally designated terrorist, who was released from house arrest last year in November, even urged the UN after his release asking for his name be removed from their list of sanctioned terrorists. However, it did not happen. The UN team will hold meetings with Pakistani officials on the list of the sanctioned outfits including JuD, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other organisations and individuals. Expressing concern, former Pakistan Diplomat Husain Haqqani condemned the decision, saying it would be in Pakistan's interest to give complete access to Saaed and its entities. It would be in Pakistan's interest to give United Nations monitoring team complete access to Hafiz Saeed & all entities associated with him. The very fact that Pak wants to hide him from rest of the world basically makes world more suspicious: Husain Haqqani, former Pak Diplomat pic.twitter.com/p2nfgvHh6c — ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2018 × Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said there's no case against Saeed, which is why he can't be prosecuted.

Pakistan won't allow UN sanctions monitoring team access to Hafiz Saeed: Reports

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Masood Azhar’s proscription

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Pakistan won't allow UN sanctions monitoring team access to Hafiz Saeed: Reports